Bankfull width definition
Bankfull width means the width of the surface of the water at the point where water just begins to overflow into the active flood plain. In streams where there is no flood plain, it is often the width of a stream or river at the dominant channel forming flow that reoc- curs every one to two years.
Bankfull width means the elevation or line where the water fills the channel just before beginning to spill onto the floodplain.
Bankfull width means: (a) For streams - The measurement of the lateral extent of the water surface elevation perpendicular to the channel at bankfull depth. In cases where multiple channels exist, bankfull width is the sum of the individual channel widths along the cross-section (see board manual section 2).